1 Samuel 2:10

Today I was reading 1 Samuel. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen it before. After all I have read it before. But it jumped off the page at me, 1 Samuel 2:10, and as a result I decided to post my thoughts.

I think the ESV Study Bible commentator got the interpretation wrong in some places.

The text reads:
“The adversaries of the L-RD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven; the L-RD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his annointed.”

Now a couple of things I noted. 1. Hannah’s husband was likely from the tribe of Judah and the same clan as David and Jesse. (“…an Ephrathite.”- 1 Samuel 1:1, cf. Micah 5:2). So, Samuel was also likely from Judah. This is important because of several prophecies tied to Judah that have kingly aspects.

2. Hannah’s words read similarly to portions of Psalm 2, a messianic Psalm that discusses the Messiah breaking the nations in pieces.

No king had yet been born in Israel. My thought, however, was that a kingmaker and an king-annointer, Samuel, had been born. Moreover, an annointed priest had been born. Hannah’s prayer was therefore prophetic of what would come to pass as a result of this birth.